Everton will get only 5,186 tickets for the FA Cup quarter final against the arse, when according to FA rules say we should have 9,000. Here is what Everton announced on the official site.

Everton will receive a reduced allocation of 5,186 tickets for the FA Cup with Budweiser quarter-final tie against Arsenal on Saturday 8 March, kick off 12.45pm.

Discussions have been taking place in the past 48 hours to determine the exact number of away tickets to be made available, with Blues officials attempting to secure the maximum 15% allocation.

However, the Club has today been informed by Arsenal's Safety Advisory Group, which is made up of representatives from the club, local authority, police and transport that the number has been reduced from 9,000 due to fears over safety issues from persistent standing and the use of smoke bombs/pyrotechnics in the upper tiers of the Emirates stadium.

The safety group made similar decisions in earlier rounds of the competition with both Tottenham Hotspur and Liverpool receiving significantly reduced ticket allocations.

Everton did raise objections with both the Football Association and Arsenal over the number of tickets being made available but the advisory group makes the final decision on allocations.

I have started a Goverment E-Mail petition for the Goverment to discuss and enforce Arsenal to allocate the full 15% of tickets to Everton F C , please sign up as and when it appears on the Goverment site

Alex Short, Wirral, 11:01 PM 26/02/2014

35

Great to see that the supporters haven't rolled over on this one and that the opposition is gathering more and more media coverage. Hopefully the situation will be rectified in time for the Blues to benefit, as well as other clubs in the future.

Bluethrunthru, Goodison, 4:08 PM 26/02/2014

34

With apologies to George Orwell, here's an article I sent to Everton, who, despite the sympathetic comments of Roberto Martinez seem disinclined to take the matter further, so Arsenal are being given free rein to ride rough-shod over the Cup's traditions...
ARSENAL FARM…..Orwellian abuse of FA rules, as Gunners show self-serving disrespect to the Cup.
With last week’s announcement of a much-reduced ticket allocation for visiting fans for the FA Cup quarter final, post the ubiquitous meeting of the Emirates Stadium Safety Advisory Group, presumably chaired by a plump pink individual named Napoleon, Arsenal further undermined the prestige of this formerly celebrated old competition and showed their disdain for genuine fans.
For the third consecutive time, albeit it for slightly different reasons on each occasion, Arsenal announced a decision to virtually halve the 15% FA Cup away ticket entitlement (from some 9,000 to little over 5,000) to away fans for Spurs, Liverpool and Everton, respectively.
According to their Safety Advisory Group, it would appear that it would be unsafe to offer Everton fans any seats in the upper stand, in case any of them should either stand or celebrate a goal. This despite clear TV evidence of Arsenal fans doing the former (and only the former!) throughout the match versus Bayern Munich just this past week. Clearly all fans are not equal, as Coventry fans were offered some 9,000 tickets when they came calling, perhaps in a charitable act of support to the stricken Midlanders, rather than, as a cynic may suggest, due to any lack of local interest in the fixture...
It seems somewhat strange and illogical that the safety of away fans cannot be guaranteed in what most people, me included, consider the finest stadium in the country. Yet, paradoxically, the seating areas in question will not be left empty, but will be made available to Arsenal fans, presumably on account of their superior sense of balance. (Were there any mountain goats at Orwell’s Manor Farm, does anyone recall?)
One alternative which solves the altitude problem would surely be to locate the additional 4,000 Evertonians in adjacent lower tier sections. Although the only time I witnessed trouble at the Emirates was due to Arsenal fans in the upper tier being given free rein to bombard the Everton fans below with coins, drinks and programmes; something for which Arsenal subsequently made a formal apology to Everton. Yet that self-same scenario will be repeated, with home fans directly above the away following, apparently with the full blessing of the advisory committee in its wisdom.
Knee-jerk reaction suggests that Everton should reciprocate when Arsenal visit Goodison, but this only further hits the genuine fan. Perhaps it would be better were Arsenal’s safety certificate for the Emirates to be temporarily withdrawn, at least until they could guarantee the safety of 9,000 visiting fans. An alternative venue for the match is available either at the northern end of the Seven Sisters Road (where Arsenal played when Highbury suffered war damage) or at Wembley… Or, would it be better if the entire upper tier of The Emirates were left empty, so the safety of all ‘animals’ could be guaranteed?
Surely the FA must realize that spurious reasons are being trumped up to suit the hosts and further devalue the FA Cup quarter final as a spectacle? This betrays the Cup’s traditions and disrespects the football supporter; attitudes sadly typical of the Premier League era.
I had always respected Arsenal, regarding them as a club with class, which gets things right. Though it should not be forgotten they were one of England’s most notorious ‘special dispensation clubs’ with the shameful way they were voted into the old First Division in 1919 at the expense of Tottenham, whose feat in winning Division Two was to count for nothing. This latest episode of disadvantaging their Cup opponents, however, leaves a very sour taste. It simply should not be allowed.
I wonder how the Arsenal Board members are justifying it to themselves. Then the image comes to mind: peering through the boardroom window, I can see them. They’re down on all fours. They are not wearing clothes, and their noses are firmly stuck in a large red and white trough. And there, on the back wall, someone has crossed out the FA’s rules for their famous Cup competition….

Nick Klaassen, London exile, 12:01 AM 25/02/2014

33

The FA Cup should be sponsored by Teflon not Budweiser, FA has chosen to not address the problem and buried their heads in the sand.
We should reduce their allocation at Goodison for all future games and charge them whatever we want; I suggest something like £40.01
Although if give the health and safety freaks a chance they’ll grab it with both bubble-wrapped hands! If you throw anything at the match you shouldn't be there...no-one wins from it!

Luke, Huyton, 10:30 PM 24/02/2014

32

When they next visit Goodison they should be allocated the Lower Bullens only and charged £62.00 for the privilege. Their decision is nonsense. They are terrified at the prospect of 9,000 Evertonians getting behind their team big time and singing the Blues along to victory, which the 5000 will do anyway! COYB!

Tim.G, A in M, 3:33 PM 21/02/2014

31

Re John@30...You make a very good point about Wembley.

Peter b, Walton , 3:09 PM 21/02/2014

30

This is a ridiculous decision. It shows a complete lack of regard for the rules and total unwillingness to pursue other reasonable steps to allow the full allocation to be granted safely.
Firstly, the game is being played on Saturday lunchtime reducing he concerns that there should be. Secondly, surely they should simply be looking to get more stewards for the game (could even ask the other club to provide some of their stewards).
If there were genuine safety concerns about the number of travelling fans, why isn't the FA cup played in an 90% empty Wembley in front of 5,000 fans from each team?

John, Liverpool, 12:09 PM 21/02/2014

29

Once again the money grabbing bastards stick two fingers at the best away supporters in the land H&S my arse

Peter, London, 11:26 AM 21/02/2014

28

Re: Phil@26.
We wont need a replay mate, we'll dump them out in their own backyard.

Vic, Exiled Blue, Carshalton, 10:51 AM 21/02/2014

27

I think that if Arsenal have had problems with smoke bombs and people standing in the upper tiers , then if we were to look back on all of their games when these things have occurred we will find that these areas have been populated by their own fans. So does this give all of the other Premier league clubs a reason to reduce these firework freaky Arsenal fans to only a very small area of our grounds, due to safety concerns ?
They know that Everton, Liverpool, Tottenham will bring enough fans to make a lot of noise and they are frightened that this is going to spur our clubs on and ultimately see them dumped out of the cup.
Safety Concerns or Shit Scared, I think we all know the answer to that one.

baz, warwick, 8:01 PM 20/02/2014

26

We should give 'em none for the replay.

Phil, USA, 5:00 PM 20/02/2014

25

We should take Arsenal to court. If it's safe for the Arsenal fans to have the seats then why can't we have what we are entitled to? Don't they have stewards? Is there no police in London to control fans? It's a disgrace. We and Spurs and the RS should give Arsenal a reduced allocation next time we play them.

Peter b, Walton, 3:50 PM 20/02/2014

24

@21 the FA have already passed the buck... look at my last post and their response.
Nothing will change it. Next season though Everton should just give them the lower Bullens and sell the upper to our own as they were all stood up last night at the Emirates... not at all safe!
It's all about the extra £120K they will get by doubling the ticket prices and not having the bedlam, support and noise that 9000 will bring along. Damn shame as that is what makes the cup special since the prem killed off the away fans.

bitter, Liverpool, 3:08 PM 20/02/2014

23

Spurs fan here. Just wondering what you're making of this now its the third straight PL team not given their allocation (which suggests to me that you shouldnt be looking at your own to blame). It's the same old from their safety committee (and gives the FA and the arse a convenient third party to blame), from the quote in the Metro (http://metro.co.uk/2014/02/20/everton-anger-over-reduced-ticket-allocation-for-arsenal-fa-cup-quarter-final-4311283/) it appears the top tier pyro's are the 'reason' - the top tier is all them, so in effect it's blaming Arse's own supporters for the safety risk! Easy solution to that.....and any normal away allocation is both at risk from the top tier (numbers dont come into it), and at risk from the any 'unsafe standing'. Total bollocks but the FA and police will all say 'the safety commitee said so'. Farcical.

Mark, London, 1:20 PM 20/02/2014

22

This is lunacy, might as well say it'd be safer if there were no away supporters there! If the FA do not have the authority to demand 15% to the away team, Arsenal could potentially give no allocation could they not!?

Irate, Emirates upper tier, 1:05 PM 20/02/2014

21

I think if they want to claim safety as an issue its fine. BUT to keep within the rules they should reduce the home attendance to ensure they only have 85%...perhaps someone can start an online petition? I'm sure Spurs, kopites and other prem fans would sign it!

Liam Cassidy, Runcorn, 12:40 PM 20/02/2014

20

...thanks to those fuckwits and their smoke bombs!

Gareth, Forced to watch it on the telly..., 12:38 PM 20/02/2014

19

Post Number 2 is spot on. It just offers Arsenal the perfect excuse to reduce the away allocation.

Sam, Cheshire, 12:18 PM 20/02/2014

18

Its a manipulation of standards , its does beckon if past form of EFC fans, home and away and also recent away fans activity at this ground is being used as the key descision maker, but the FA 15% rules should be reviewed, as clearly they dont mean SFA, and EFC must consider their own allocatrion rights, I dare say the Arse, will get more tickets and its a massive let down....Its an incentive now to go and finish off what we started in the away match -this time we put them to the sword, hope we get a fare referee, and stick right up their Khyber pass, and lets see what the moaning Minge of a manager,says, when we beat them! "Whats Our Name?"

El Cid, Offshore, 11:13 AM 20/02/2014

17

reply from the FA this morning... its all smoke and mirrors and massive book passing...
Thank you for your email.
The Safety Advisory Group, which is made up of the local council and services such as Police and Fire brigade, as well as the home club, made the decision on the number of tickets available to away fans for the tie. They issue the health and safety certificate for the match to take place and The FA does not have the power to change this. As I said, the decision includes Police advice who have policed fixtures involving the clubs over a number of years.
Competition rules state that up to 15% of the stadium can be given to away fans but health and safety considerations have to be made and this is the call of the Safety Advisory Group and not The FA.
Thank you again for contacting us.

bitter, Liverpool, 10:08 AM 20/02/2014

16

I agree with all the comments here, but particularly with Dixie's, No. 3. This is a disgrace and should not be tolerated. NSNO
On a slight tangent, i'm not sure of the exact set-up, so if anyone can elaborate please do, but should an safety advisory group be run by the club? Do the club have the final say? If so, surely this is a potential conflict of interests!?

bluethrunthru, goodison, 9:53 AM 20/02/2014

15

The FA need to stand up to Arsenal over this. How can one of the newest stadiums in Europe not be able to handle an away support of 9000 fans safely??? It's not just against us they have done this, they also used the same excuse for the games against spurs and the shite. They should be made to keep the other 4000 seats empty.

lee, Liverpool, 9:31 AM 20/02/2014

14

Arsenal knew the rules when they built the stadium. Game should come to Goodison if they cannot accommodate it safely.
Alternatively 9000 in the lower tier..not splitting atoms here!
did they ever do anything about their upper tier fans spitting and throwing things at our supporters a few years back? I recall the stewards ejecting our supporters!
Come on Everton make a stand here its simply not good enough

bitter, liverppol, 8:07 AM 20/02/2014

13

Congratulations to the idiots who have thrown these smoke bombs, you have just given Arsenal the EXCUSE to stop 4,000 Everton fans from attending, shame on you and Arsenal.

Mike, Birkenhead, 6:17 AM 20/02/2014

12

If Arsenal are concerned sbout the use of smoke bombs and pyrotechnics, I suggest that they change their nickname 'The Gunners', as it is provocative and incites the use of guns and is, therefore, not appropriate!!

Joe Dids, Bury, Lancs, 11:14 PM 19/02/2014

11

After hearing Arsenal had agreed a sensible ticket price of £35 for this game I was thinking of penning a congratulatory message on this very site to applaud their decision. I should've known there'd be an ulterior motive. It was just too good to be true that they'd allow 9000 away tickets at that price.
Talk of pyrotechnics and the like is just smokescreen (pardon the pun..)

Jim, Grassendale, 10:57 PM 19/02/2014

10

As usual the FA is ruled by London clubs.Whats the point in setting a 15 percent rule if they are not going to enforce it.Its nothing to do with safety they don't want 9000 blues embarrassing their poxy fans.5000 will be more than enough to do that.

Lammy, Kendal, 10:44 PM 19/02/2014

9

the lower tier holds 24000, no reason why 9000 away fans can't be accommodated in he lower tier. If Arsenal cannot ensure the safety of fans then they should forfeit home advantage until such time as they can.

Andy Hill, UK, 10:30 PM 19/02/2014

8

We should be offered 15% so Arsenal get 85%. If they give us a reduced allocation they should only be able to sell their fans the amount of seats to make up the same percentage....leaving empty seats. See how quickly safety problems would be sorted !

Tim, Cheshire, 10:24 PM 19/02/2014

7

If Arsenal can't meet safety regulations then the game should be played at a neutral ground.

Ian, Kirkby, 10:09 PM 19/02/2014

6

So when we play Arsenal at Goodison,the upper Bullens allocation will not be available to Arsenal supporters.?Fr safety reasons of course.

joe, stockbridge, 9:53 PM 19/02/2014

5

this is a joke if Arsenal cannot give out full allocoation they should have their safety licence taken off them, would they have given one of the lower teams still left in cup their full allocation, bet they would off, always seem to do it too clubs they know will fill the away end.

4everblue, Liverpool, 9:45 PM 19/02/2014

4

If we bring them back for a replay we should give them the usual 2900 away allocation claiming the same thing. I see they cleared the stadium after 88mins tonight - safety concerns or 0-2 down?

PhilR, Liverpool, 9:45 PM 19/02/2014

3

I think this is a disgrace, and that Everton should kick up a major stink about this.

Dixie, dixie@aol.com, 9:30 PM 19/02/2014

2

I hate to say it, but the away supporters do themselves no favors when they bring smoke bombs into the stadium. Too many times, I've watched blue smoke fog up the away stand. Same goes to the tits who threw projectiles at Suarez at Goodison. We put Everton FC on a pedestal for how to play the game with honor and heart. The same should be expected from us when we're abroad or at home. I've made the trek to Goodison twice and to Analfield once for a derby and the atmosphere created by the our supporters was magic, without all that nonsense. The supporters should hold our own accountable. Lets not have these clown shoes ruin it for everyone.

Brent, Vancouver, Canada, 9:26 PM 19/02/2014

1

It appears Arsenal are manipulating the system by shouting out safety, when they are making sure their own supporters have seats.